Letter: Sustaining the Millennium

Sir: Perhaps we could consider a suggestion from the prescient science fiction writer, Arthur C Clarke, who first proposed the use of geo-stationery communications satellites.

His novel 2061: Odyssey Three was published in 1987 and represents the second sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey. In an early chapter, he writes: "With the historic abolition of long-distance charges on 31 December 2000..." (he got the date right, too!) "...every telephone call became a local one, and the human race greeted the new millennium by transforming itself into one huge, gossiping family."

This seems like a suitably noble enterprise: British Telecom, Mercury and others, please note.

IAN QUAYLE

Helensburgh,

Strathclyde